Evidence- based design is commonly recognized as the best practice for the interior design of healthcare facilities. Research indicates that careful planning and design can have a positive effect on hospital staff and patient outcome. However, there is a lack of existing research on how interior design effects the cleaning of healthcare facilities. More research is needed to determine the impact of interior design specifically on the cleaning and maintenance personnel of our hospitals and clinics. If designers can make the important job of cleaning and disinfecting healthcare facilities easier then healthcare acquired infections can be reduced saving lives and billions of dollars per year.

Julia Graves Williams has been practicing interior design for more than twenty years, many of those designing healthcare facilities. She has a BS in Interior Design form O'More College and a Master of Science in Architecture with a specialization in Interior Design from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.